A Tale of Betrayal
by TifoLifo
Summary: My first fan fiction tells the story of Damas' infamous betrayal by Baron Praxis and explores the founding of Spargus City and the destructive ambition of Baron Praxis. Damas must recover from his loss or be lost in the desert forever.
1. Prologue

**A Tale of Betrayal**

The city never slept, but it did lull, and every morning saw the same stirring of life in all the sections of the city. The sky slowly filled with cars and bikes, factories fired into life and the sun pushed the morning's mist off the streets dispersing into the sky. Damas looked down his city with love. He had been king of Haven City for a long time, following a long and noble line, and he had tried to make it a safe place for all the people seeking its refuge. The metal heads had been relentless in their conquering of the outside world and many refugees made their way here for safety. Damas felt the responsibility to give these people a life that was unfairly taken from them. This city would be their Haven now, and he would protect them from all who would do harm.

Damas turned from the giant windows of his throne room and descended the stairs from his chair, his royal armour rattling breaking the silence in the room. It was an important day. After long and careful planning he, with the help of his advisors, had taken the first steps to launch an offensive attack on the metal head nest. Nearly a year in the making, having trained his men, built their supplies and weapons he now had a good strike force of nearly ten thousand strong. They were equipped with ground and air assault vehicles and an impressive amount of fire power.

Too long had the metal heads ravaged his city and traumatised his people, despite his fears for their safety he felt that they needed to respond to this threat.

"My people, is asking you to go to war a fair request?" He said a loud hoping that the question could be answered.

The room was silent.

He sighed and tightened the belt that held his eco sword in place before drawing the great blade, holding out to inspect its edge. The blade was forged from solidified eco crystals centuries ago, the craft work of the precursors and a powerful weapon. He tensed and swung the doubled edged blade expertly, cutting the air in several precise strikes. The movement loosened his muscles and warmed his blood as he whirled in a dance of death.

"My lord has lost none of his warriors spirit." Said a voice from the throne room door.

Damas stopped his routine and turned to see who had entered without announcing themselves and he sighed and smiled to his advisor.

"My spirit is always at war, my friend."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, for where I must war with my enemies to protect my city and its people, I must also war with my conscience. Do you think this war is worth the lives it may cost?"

"This war has already cost lives my lord. It will carry on doing so until we strike forth and make our enemies answer for their actions. King Damas I stand before you now, after we have worked so long at your request to make this campaign as secure as possible, to say that we are ready to win."

Damas studied his advisor taking in the words and making peace within himself, the risks were necessary. As much as he didn't like it he trusted his advisor's judgement and they would march today.

"Then we must go and make these creatures suffer as we have suffered under their wrath. I am ready, my Baron Praxis."


	2. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Elenor sat by the window over looking the city square in front of the palace, and the massed ranks of Damas' army that had formed into neat fighting squares. Their tanks and Hellcat cruisers stood and hovered waiting for the order to move out, their engines creating a dull growl that filled the air. The streets around the square were packed with citizens waiting to see them off, scared and excited for the first action to be taken against the metal heads. No one had ever seen such a large military force move out at once, the sight was impressive.

The baby in her arms squirmed and awoke, his eyes looking up into his mothers face. She smiled at him and kissed his forehead and he let out a squeak and giggled.

"Daddy's going to go away today." She said to him, although he didn't understand and her lip trembled.

She had pleaded Damas not to go with the army, to send out his troops with their more than capable generals. Damas would not even argue the issue.

"Who am I to ask these people to fight in my place? I will stand next to them and we will stand together, just like Mar, and we will triumph." He had said to her and she could remember the pain in her chest that had over whelmed her. No one agreed with her, and Baron Praxis insisted he join the army. She didn't trust him.

The Baron had increased his influence in the city since she the baby had come, Damas had welcomed the relief so that he could watch over his wife and new born. The council had also become overly interested in the baby, something that had happened when every new heir to the throne of Mar was born. Something within her felt like they were looking for something, and the ambition on their faces was always apparent when they visited, especially with the new count. He had visited on several occasions and he always unnerved her and made the new born scream in terror.

Servants entered with a light breakfast and warm milk for the baby, which was handed directly to Elenor who began feeding him. She delighted in feeding her son, the connection to her dependant child felt unbreakable.

"Will there be anything else, my lady?" One of the servants asked at the door.

"No thank you." She replied and they were gone. Mar swiftly finished his milk and let out a loud and long burp which shocked him and he laughed. Elenor smiled and put the bottle down.

There was a fan fare in the streets below and Elenor went to look from her window. The King and the Baron had arrived and were surveying the army in the square. The crowds were cheering for their king, but he remained passive, always with his mind on the task at hand. She stood and directed her son towards his father.

"There's you father: Damas." She whispered to him, as if her husband might hear her spying on him. "He's going to protect us." The words caught in her throat as tears filled her eyes.

The baby Mar looked up into her face unable to understand the emotions she presented but he gripped her dress and tugged himself closer to her as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Damas will always keep us safe Mar. Always."

Damas looked out over his army and they looked straight back at him and he took a deep breath in awe of the massed men ready to fight. In the front ranks stood the lines of soldiers fully armoured and equipped with laser rifles with viscous bayonets attached to the end. They stood tall and strong together. Behind them rumbling in the background and shaking the nearby buildings were hundreds of tanks. They were built with thick armour and powerful guns and spiked rams, they stood like formidable giants at the back of the army. Then hovering above them were the Hell Cat cruisers, fast as the wind and equipped with powerful turbo cannons they were ready to bring swift death onto metal heads.

At the base of the stairs were a group of men in suits and Baron Praxis was already greeting and talking with them. The council of Haven city always felt that they should be present at every situation or else people would forget them and their purpose and ultimately ask them to leave, or at least thats how Damas felt about them. He came down the stairs to greet them and they all turned and bowed to their king.

"Good morning Council thank you for coming today." Damas said formally opening the conversation.

"Good morning your majesty, it is truly an amazing sight to see the army that has gathered to protect the city." Replied the council's head, a tall and detestable man in a long black suit jacket and carrying a sceptre, a mark of office. Count Veger was one the most unpleasant people Damas had known, yet he was forced to work with him until the day he would be voted out of the council. At least he prayed he would be voted out.

"It is. Baron Praxis, are we ready to begin moving out?" Damas asked.

"Yes my king, but perhaps the men would appreciate your words." Praxis replied waving a hand in their direction.

Damas nodded with a smile and returned to the top of the stairs to give a speech. Veger stepped in close to the Baron.

"What have you heard of the son?" He asked.

"He is a normal child in my opinion but I guess we wont know until you check."

"When can we make our move?"

"We must wait till we defeat the metal heads in battle. The palace guards are loyal to me now, and since Damas has been busy with the child I have been able to gain influence amongst many districts. When the time comes I will be accepted."

"What of the child? If he lives then you would only remain the Baron of this city." Veger asked, the tone in his voice suggesting the worst.

Praxis turned to him and looked him in the eyes with a fierce glare. "I don't need to be king to rule."

Damas stood in front of the troops unaware of the conversation behind him. He took a deep breath and looked once again at his brave army and the people that had surrounded the square. Their blinking eyes waiting for his words, and like the hammer striking the anvil his voice rang out into the square.

"People of Haven City, my friends and countrymen. Today marks the end of our struggle, today marks the first step towards a free and bright new world and many steps will follow. I cannot say we will be ultimately victorious for we all know the foe we face." He paused feeling the nerves of his soldiers and making sure that everyone knew the danger they faced. "But I do know that we are strong and we are determined, and we are ready. This is the first strike that will begin the falling of the tree that has cast it's shadow over us!" The crowd cheered. "Fall in with me my soldiers! Fall in with me my people! For I will lead you to victory and I will always walk with you through the darkness!" Damas finished his speech and drew his sword and raised it to the sky and there was a cheer so loud as to crack the heavens and shake the earth.

Damas felt his heart pumping in his chest with the anticipation of battle and he stepped to his personal Hellcat Cruiser and the Baron quickly followed. The army gave one last cheer and they too began to load onto their landing crafts and cruisers. The tanks were picked up by clamps under the Hellcat's and the army flew out of the square and shot across the sea to the south, kicking up the surf as they went. The Baron sat patiently in the cruiser by his king.


End file.
